Special to The Laker/Lutz News

By Jeff Odom

Land O’ Lakes girls golfer Eden Shirmohammad first stepped onto the course as a freshman never expecting to be the squad’s ace.

As a sophomore last season, Shirmohammad was the only Gators golfer, boy or girl, to advance past the Class 2A-District 11 tournament into regionals.

“I walked into the season feeling really, really confident in what I was doing,” Shirmohammad said. “I practiced a lot this summer and knowing how much I achieved last year and walking into this year, I have way more confidence.”

The junior’s success last season has inspired numerous teammates, including Jaycee Welker, who said she looks up to Shirmohammad.

“She’s really one of my role models,” Welker said. “We have so much in common, and I love her so much. She is such a good leader and she always leads us up and if we’re having a bad day, she helps us sometimes. She’s really a great leader, and I’m glad she’s No. 1.”

Second-year coach John Clapp, who also coaches the Gators’ softball team, said he has high expectations for Shirmohammad and hopes those trickle down to each of his golfers.

“It’s still a young team,” Clapp said. “I still got a couple veteran players who are seniors, but pretty much it’s a new team; it’s a young team. Players like Eden, she’s one I look for a lot of potential in her; and Jaycee, she’s come along as a second-year player. This year I took 12 players, which is kind of unheard of for golf, but I’m trying to build and try to see where the girls want to play.”

Shirmohammad said it can be tense at times knowing the school has high success in many sports programs at Land O’ Lakes like swimming, football and baseball.

“Not going to lie, it’s a little bit stressful,” Shirmohammad said. “I feel like I’ve got criteria in place to meet. It just makes me want to work even harder and do even better than I did last year, and maybe even have an opportunity to go to states.”

Junior Sierra Holt also plays on the school’s softball team. Before this year, she had never played golf, but she decided to drop the bat and pick up a club this fall under the guidance of Clapp.

“It’s really enjoyable, and I can say it’s a very fun sport; very calm,” Holt said. “It would be cool if I went far in it. … It’s fun. It’s different, but it’s really cool. I’ve played softball my whole life, so coming out here it was kind of the same thing.”

Shirmohammad credits her coach and teammates for making the season so relaxing, and hopes to continue playing in college. She plans to work toward one day becoming a television news broadcaster or sports journalist.

“Hopefully, I will start getting in to contacting some colleges and some scholarship opportunities and keep going with this sport because I love it,” Shirmohammad said. “(As a team) we’re our own group of people. We’re really funny, and we all have our different portions we need to work on, but we also work as a cohesive group to make sure we’re having a good time. Even if we’re having a bad day, we’ll come out the next day working just as hard as we did the day before.”

The 2A-11 tournament is at Heritage Springs Country Club in Trinity Oct. 16 at 12:30 p.m.

By Andy Warrener

The Laker/Lutz News Correspondent

The Gaither boys golf team is not known for its fast starts.

The Cowboys began the 2011 season 2-6, but rebounded enough to finish third at the Class 2A-District 9 meet and advance to regionals.

This season, Gaither (3-6) stumbled out of the gate again this year, but fourth-year coach Dwayne Olinger said scores have been steadily decreasing all year.

The Cowboys return a group of experienced golfers, including their No. 1 Jimmy Stanger, and are expecting to be playing at top form come districts.

“We’re going to be in the hunt,” Olinger said. “We know we can count on Jimmy to do his job. Our top three should have good rounds, and we should get something from our four and five guys.”

Last year, the Cowboys had to replace two of their top-three golfers but bring back their entire top five in 2012.

Stanger, a senior, returns after winning an individual district championship and advancing to states for the first time last season. The University of Virginia commit was also named The Laker/Lutz News Boys Golfer of the Year in 2011.

“(Stanger) is so goal oriented,” Olinger said. “That’s what’s driven him to where he’s at.”

Olinger said Stanger averaged between 37.1 and 37.6 in his first two years, but cut that to a slender 34 as a junior.

Stanger is continuing to improve, carding a personal best of 33 in matches twice this year.

“He just knows what he has to do to force an even par over nine holes,” Olinger said.

Stanger is not counting himself as a lock for anything, but said the experience at states has given him a boost.

“Last year at states, I was kind of in a daze, just happy I got there,” Stanger said. “This year, I will be a lot more confident going in.”

Along with Stanger, Gaither brings back junior Patrick Highland, who Olinger called one of the area’s emerging golfers. He is joined by senior Clyde Meadows and juniors Nick Shea and Alex Garren who can help push the Cowboys to the front of the district.

“We’re a lot more experienced this year,” Stanger said. “We know how to show up big at the big events.”

Gaither has made the playoffs every season since Olinger took over the squad in 2009, but are looking for their first team district title since 2000.

Olinger sees districts as being a four-horse race between Plant, King and Chamberlain and his Cowboys. Stanger would like to see his team nab that elusive district crown as well as have a stronger showing at regionals and, possibly, states.

The 2A-9 meet is scheduled for Oct. 15 at Temple Terrace Golf and Country Club.

By Andy Warrener

The Laker/Lutz News Correspondent

The Wharton boys golf team is just two years removed from winning a district and regional championship and finishing 15th at the Class 2A state tournament.

Sixth-year Wildcats boys coach Martha Scholl, who has coached golf at the school for a decade, said the team has rebounded from missing the postseason last year after taking fourth at the Class 2A-District 10 meet, 14 strokes away from returning to regionals.

Scholl said she had 17 kids try out for the squad to compete for just nine spots.

“Boys, in general, are very competitive,” Scholl said. “I like to let them use that. They are very committed. They challenge themselves.”

Scholl is hoping that competition can help them regain their playoff form. She also has a highly motivated No. 1 golfer in Jorge Junquera.

The junior qualified for regionals individually last season, but had to withdraw from the tournament because of an illness.

“I really want to come back this year and do better,” Junquera said.

Junquera is averaging 36 early this season, a stroke better than what he did last year.

The No. 2 slot is still up for very tight competition, according to Scholl, with junior team captain Sean Kim and junior Justin Koepke battling for the spot. Junior Alex Montgomery usually hits as the No. 4.

Scholl is very confident in the quality and the depth of this year’s squad, calling her Wildcats “a better team” than they were in 2011. She does see a big challenge in the defending 2A-10 champion Newsome, which finished third at states last year and returns four of its top-five golfers.

Scholl also sees tough competition just south on Bruce B. Down Boulevard in the form of Freedom.

The Wharton girls are led by first-year coach Denis Vukorep, who also leads the Wildcats girls soccer program. He said team captain and four-year varsity player Shannon Clark is his top player.

“She is a serious player with aspirations about playing in college,” Vukorep said.

Vukorep said Clark has a good shot at getting through districts this year and possibly beyond.

The other team captain is senior Darby Frankfurth, who is also a four-year varsity player.

The girls 2A-10 tournament is at Walden Lake Country Club in Plant City on Oct. 15, the same day the boys are at Summerfield Golf Course in Riverview. The tournaments start at 8 a.m.

—Results as recorded by the Florida High School Athletic Association

Warriors boys get one-stroke win

By Jeff Odom

On a day that started out a little worrisome, but Steinbrenner girls golf coach Mark Mann felt nothing but relief when his Warriors completed their match with district rival Freedom.

Kelsy Holbert and Brooke Deal, two of the Mann’s top golfers, were forced to miss the match because of illness.

On top of that, Steinbrenner (9-0) ace Claire Becker was also under the weather, but battled through it to lead her squad to a 181-184 win against the Patriots Sept. 25.

“Claire stuck it out not feeling well for the last couple days,” Mann said. “Just showing what type of person she is and what type of player to come out here and help the team out. (It’s) not her best round, but all things considered, she did extremely well.”

Becker finished tied with teammate Hannah Crosby for the Warriors’ lowest score, a 42. Her squad needed her performance in order to continue their streak of victories, which now sits at 20 straight.

Crosby said she made some miscues, but it felt good stepping up to lead her short-handed team.

“I’ve improved a lot from last year,” Crosby said. “I mean I think I shot 10 strokes worse than I did today, so I was pretty happy. The last hole, I was so angry because I should have pared it, but the course is definitely challenging. … We’re definitely lucky that we still got the win”

For the Patriots (3-3), the healthy return of No. 1 Terese Romeo was greatly appreciated.

The sophomore missed the first part of the regular season rehabbing a wrist injury sustained at districts last season. She carded a 36 on the afternoon after playing the majority of the season one handed.

“It was great; I loved it,” Romeo said. “It’s been a long time, and it happened last year too and I was out for a real long time. Coming back and coming back strong was really what I was looking for.”

On the boys side, Steinbrenner narrowly got past Freedom by one stroke 168-169.

The Warriors (3-4-1) were led by Dillon Garcia and Zach Ishee, who both shot a 39 on the day.

Steinbrenner coach JR Allen said he may have to raise his expectations for districts after the performance his team put up.

“Anytime you can go on the road to a course that you’re not really used to playing every day and get the win, it’s just a great feeling,” Allen said. “I got to say in the last week they’ve definitely been a pleasant surprise. We talked about as a group how much talent we did lose (from last year), and I may have sold this team a little bit short at the beginning. … Lately, they’ve been challenging that.”

The Patriots (4-3) struggled throughout the afternoon, missing key shots that cost them the win.

Charles Seward and Liam Doherty finished tied with Freedom’s best score, a 41. No. 1 Jimmy Jones carded a 43.

“Coming off two good performances, it just wasn’t good on our side,” said Freedom coach Mike Passarelli. “All areas were disappointing, but we’ll just keep going and be ready by districts.”

By Kyle LoJacono

The Land O’ Lakes football team’s chances to return to the playoffs took a serious hit Sept. 28, falling at home to Class 6A-District 6 rival Springstead 20-7.

The loss puts the Gators (1-3) down 0-2 in 6A-6 play with just five district contests to go.

To make matters worse, Land O’ Lakes’ two losses come to Hernando and the Eagles (5-0), which are both 2-0 in the league, giving both squads the advantage against the Gators if tiebreakers come into play for the postseason.

The game was one of false starts for Land O’ Lakes, as every step forward was quickly followed by several paces backward.

The Gators got good news before the contest, as senior running back Harrison Wood returned after missing a game because of a shoulder injury suffered in a 49-7 loss at Pasco in Week 2.

The positive momentum was short-lived, as Land O’ Lakes lost starting quarterback Ethan Weilant with an injured right shoulder, his throwing arm, after its third drive of the contest.

Weilant, a sophomore, said he originally hurt the shoulder in the last play of the Gators’ game at Hernando on Sept. 21, which prevented him from practicing all week.

Sophomore James Pensyl (7-of-20, 104 yards) replaced Weilant and completed two of his first four passes for 14 and 15 yards, respectively, but any offensive momentum didn’t last long. Land O’ Lakes recorded only seven first downs in the contest and scored no offensive points.

Second-year Gators coach Brian Wachtel said Pensyl showed flashes of being a legitimate quarterback, but has areas to improve.

“He had some nice passes, but I think he needs some more experience,” Wachtel said. “I think with any player the more reps you get the better you get. We’re waiting to see the status on Ethan’s shoulder, and James came out tonight and played for us. I look for him to continue to improve.”

The Eagles kept their offensive attack on the ground, with 51 of their 73 plays being runs.

Springstead’s offense gained 226 of its 350 yards on those rushing attempts, but the Gators defense didn’t appear to wear down in the hot conditions.

In fact, Land O’ Lakes gave up only five plays of 10 or more yards after halftime and forced a pair of turnovers after the break.

The first takeaway happened when junior defensive end Shaheed Salmon scooped up a fumble with 2:07 left in the third quarter on the Eagles’ 18-yard line.

The Gators were in prime position to score, and did just that on a 9-yard pass to senior Nathan Randall, but the touchdown was called back on an illegal shift penalty.

Pensyl threw an interception on the next play.

Land O’ Lakes’ defense forced a three-and-out on Springstead’s ensuing drive. The punt attempt was blocked by sophomore safety Kamal Wells, which was snagged by senior linebacker/wide receiver Kyle Forchoin in the Eagles’ end zone with 11:10 remaining in the game for the home team’s only score.

“Football is a game of execution,” Wachtel said. “We’re going to get in tomorrow morning and find areas where we can improve our execution and teach the kids. That’s what our job is, and that’s what our goal is.”

The Gators hosts Mitchell, the squad Wachtel coached for two seasons, Oct. 5 at 7:30 p.m. The Mustangs are 1-1 in 6A-6 play.

By Cameron Valdez

The Laker/Lutz News Correspondent

Academy at the Lakes seven-man football team celebrated its last home game of the season with a 47-18 victory against Washburn Sept. 28.

The Spartans (4-2) opened the scoring with a 9-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Cole Perry to Michael Goodyear.

Wildcats (4-0) quarterback Max Stepanents threw a 54-yard touchdown to DeAndre Williams on their ensuring drive to take 8-6 lead halfway through the first quarter.

The academy never trailed again, scoring three more unanswered touchdowns to enter halftime with a 26-8 lead.

Washburn engineered a scoring drive coming out of the locker room to close the game to 26-12, but Wildcats junior Ahkil McGill answered with a 73-year kickoff return for a touchdown, one of his three scores of the contest.

The academy defense stepped up its play after that, forcing four turnovers.

The Wildcats allowed just one other score and held the Spartans to less than 200 yards of total offense. Cornerback Tony Arrington recorded two of his team’s three interceptions on the night.

Academy quarterback Max Stepanents finished 5-of-7 passing for 106 yards and three touchdowns, two of which were caught by Jack Fishman.

“We worked real hard for this game, and we are happy (with the outcome),” said Wildcats coach John Castelamare.

The academy has a bye this week before traveling to Citrus Park Christian Oct. 12 at 7:30 p.m. The Wildcats close the regular season at Tarpon Springs Solid Rock Oct. 25 at 4:30 p.m.

Win gives Patriots volleyball at least the No. 2 district seed

By Jeff Odom

Carrollwood Day School (CDS) knocked off Bishop McLaughlin on the road in straight sets, 25-16, 25-14, 25-18 Sept. 27 to clinch at least the No. 2 seed in the Class 3A-District 8 tournament.

The Hurricanes (4-5) were without their starting libero Casey McColl, who was benched prior to the game for unspecified reasons. The lack of her anchor on the backrow showed, as the ‘Canes struggled with defense and communication throughout the contest.

The Patriots (12-4) looked out of order early in the first set, as Bishop McLaughlin jumped out to a five point lead. But with the quick reaction of senior Nicole Neugebauer, who finished with 18 assists and five kills, CDS scored six straight to even the set.

The back and forth scoring continued, until the Patriots took 10 of the final 12 points to win the set.

“We came out of the gate a little slow,” said CDS coach Travis Nead. “They have some great hitters over there that played a strong first game, but we made a lot of mental errors and that’s really what we talked about and they were able to correct themselves.”

CDS did not trail in the second set, dominating the shorthanded ‘Canes. Casey Brynjolfsson and Madison Ghodsi combined for 12 services, as the Patriots broke out on a 15-2 lead.

Bishop McLaughlin coach Doug Chinchar said the loss of McColl, added with his young team’s inexperience, hampered its ability to win.

“Probably the best libero in the area was not playing tonight,” Chinchar said. “She was sitting (down) right on the bench. That hurt us, and we learned certain things are more important than volleyball. She controls the backrow. They knew it. We’re very young … next year, we’re going to be tough.”

CDS continued to pile on in the third set, but the Hurricanes kept it closer thanks in part to the performance of sophomore outside hitter Alyssa Mathis, who pressured the Patriots’ defense with hard swings and key blocks to try and extend the match.

Even with the boost, CDS would again hold Bishop McLaughlin in check when it mattered the most, as the Patriots scored seven straight to take the victory.

Mathis finished with 17 kills and four blocks on the night. CDS’ Aishling Sheehan led her squad with 11 kills while adding seven digs.

The win marks the first time CDS has finished the regular season with a district record above .500 (3-1). It also avenges a loss to the Hurricanes suffered in last year’s district semifinals, which ended the Patriots’ season and earned Bishop McLaughlin its first playoff berth.

“We’re really excited about this one,” Nead said. “We’ll wait and see how the rest of districts finishes out, because I know there are a bunch of big ones coming up.”

The 3A-8 tournament is at Seffner Christian Oct. 22 to 25, with the championship match Oct. 25 at 6:30 p.m.